A hammertoe is a fairly common foot problem that occurs when the middle joint of the toe develops an abnormal bend and becomes flexed or bent downward. This is due to a muscle imbalance around the toe joints.
This imbalance is what causes the toe to bend at one or more joints, eventually pushing the middle of the toe upward in a claw-like position.
Unfortunately, a hammertoe (also called claw toes, mallet toes, or retracted toes) causes pain and never gets better without intervention. The sooner it is treated, the better the outcome and the shorter the recovery.
Dr. Bob Baravaria DPM, FACFAS is a Board-Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Specialist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves as Director of University Foot and Ankle Institute.
Dr. Baravarian has been involved in athletics his entire life and played competitive tennis in high school and college. He has an interest in sports medicine, arthritis therapy, and trauma/reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. He is also fluent in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Farsi, and Hebrew),